1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a helical scan-type recording and/or reproducing apparatus for recording and/or reproducing large volumes of data such as digital video signals, and relates particularly to a video cassette recorder or other recording and/or reproducing apparatus capable during data reproduction of reproducing data at a reproducing speed different from that used during normal data reproduction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The recording and reproducing method described in Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2-094071 is one known method used for special reproducing modes in conventional digital recording video cassette recorders (VCRs). In this method, still image data extracted from the video signal for use during high speed reproduction is recorded to a specific tracing pattern across plural tracks. The tracing pattern of this method is compatible with only one non-standard special reproducing mode.
As a result, this type of VCR can only offer one special reproducing mode speed at which a stable still or slow-motion video image can be reproduced, and the availability of only one special reproducing mode speed is considered substandard (insufficient) in today's VCR market. Therefore, the problem with the method described above is that data must be recorded in duplicate to plural tracing patterns in order to provide plural special reproducing mode speeds. This makes recording and reproducing increasingly complex, and wastes recording space.